There’s A Word For Why Adele’s Music Makes Us Cry

Year after year, one thing remains constant with Adele’s music: It makes the tears flow.

You may think her soulful lyrics are the reason songs like “Hello” and “Someone Like You” turn on the water works, but there’s a whole lot more going on in Adele’s music.

What is the word for why Adele’s music makes us cry?

Surprisingly, it’s not the lyrics that are really making us cry: Adele makes ample use of appoggiaturas, or grace notes. Literally meaning “a propping up,” appoggiaturas are notes that are not essential to the harmony or the melody of a song, but that create tension.

According to music psychologists, returning to the melody from appoggiaturas relieves that tension, relieving the listener’s tension, too. Cue the water works.